April 14, 2012 ...

Well, we finally made it over the Crud! 
Took Dr. Arneke's advice and got on Zyrtec. What a difference that made after only 3 days!!! All the "junk" started drying up and we were feeling almost 100% better!!! 
We have been on it now for about 3 weeks, and as good as we continue to feel? Gonna stay on it! 
Allergies still kick in sometimes ... and occasionally there is still the coughing and gagging - but so much less than before! Worth every penny!!! 

***
Life on the road isn't easy - and certainly not easy when it comes to monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar. Not easy to eat right, and not easy to exercise. 
(Which all works together against my mind -- making me question God if this is really where we are supposed to be, and what we are supposed to be doing ... sigh.)

We are trying to make the better choices of what to eat - and what not to eat. We slip and stumble some. Eating more from convenience and lack of time to do anything else. 
Finding out that to eat healthy is a lot more expensive! Course, it is worth it ... just saying it gets frustrating and discouraging at times. 

We are taking time out of the job to walk some - even if it is just around the truck stops or at Wal-mart. Parking farther from the door than we used to usually. 

It's hard to drink enough water to keep hydrated - simply because bathrooms are not as accessible out here ... usually 2 or 3 hours between breaks. So, we are learning when to drink and how much. 

Sigh. 

And, it's not just dealing with the kidney damage, nor gout, not even just the high blood pressure and diabetes. 

Rick has arthritis and injuries. 
I have arthritis and injuries. 
We both struggle with a lot of pain and discomfort. 

I am going thru the "change" - and for me personally, it is hell on the road! (I'm sorry - but just being honest.) 
Horrible periods (sorry if that is tmi for some - but it is a fact of this life). Which makes riding worse ... and the roughness of the loads and the roads makes the periods worse. And it makes finding a bathroom more critical at times. Sigh. 

I also have gall-bladder problems ... but not prepared at this time for surgery. It may come to that at some point, but for now - we simply cannot afford it. So, I have to be extra-careful with what I eat, how much and when. 

My feet and ankles and legs swell horribly at times. Seems that they hardly ever go down any more. Makes getting in and out of the truck more difficult. And makes walking more painful. 

We both have dental needs - which also causes pain and discomfort. And makes us to be a bit more choosey in what we can eat at times. Rick said the other day that if my mouth keeps on being like it is (my teeth are brittle and break, have to be pulled) - that it might be easier on me in the long run to just have all my teeth pulled and get dentures. It has been a thought and consideration for a while. We continue to think and to pray about it. 

So, yes ... life on the road with health issues is a challenge! 
But, we breathe in and we breathe out. 
Praying every day, every step of the way. 
Trusting in the Lord. 
Asking for His wisdom and guidance. 
Depending on the prayers of others as well.